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Union treasurer quits over rape arrest concerns

THE treasurer of the Oxford Union has resigned over the society’s handling of a rape allegation made against its former president.

Charles Malton, a history student at Christ Church, left the prestigious organisation after 21-year-old Ben Sullivan was arrested by police last week.

In his resignation letter to acting president Mayank Banerjee, he blames his “misguided” decision to vote in favour of the Union paying for Mr Sullivan’s legal fees.

He wrote: “[I believed] that in doing so I was protecting the Union against rumours rather than what have now transpired to be formal allegations.

“I later made a speech defending this decision. These decisions were taken in good faith, but I now recognise that they were misguided. People are innocent until proven guilty and I have every hope that Ben will prove to be innocent.

“However, the way in which many within the Union have handled this situation over the last few weeks is not behaviour that I would wish to associate myself with, and in which I have played no part.”

Mr Sullivan, a history and politics undergraduate from Knightsbridge in West London, was questioned on suspicion of a rape and an attempted rape alleged to have taken place in January and April last year.

Police later released him on bail until June 18 while officers continue their inquiries.